Shou weaved between the trees, narrowly avoiding the pillars of fire that seemed to follow him wherever he want. Through gritted teeth, he lightly cursed beneath his breath, wishing for at least a little break in evading these attacks. It had been sometime since he had met up with this specific fire demon, the one he had originally encountered within Sai City of the Lower Commons. To think he'd find him out here in the forests.."Haha! Isn't the fire grand? Only someone like you can appreciate its beauty, Shou!" The demon shouted, continuing with his chants between his sentences that would resume the onslaught of fire techniques that headed Shou's way. The red-haired oni leapt from his spot, the tree just beside him bursting into flame, and he took to the sky, landing atop a disc of flame that caught him from falling (Flight). Pushing off from that, he began to run across the skies as if it were a normal surface, platforms of flames coming to burst into being with each step he made, dissipitating whenever his foot would come to leave it.Furrowing his brow, he focused his attention on the opposing demon that levitated into the air as well, though his method simply made it seem as if he were featherless in weight and broke those laws of gravity.Shou came to a stop in his running as the other demon had ceased in his techniques. He panted lightly at the amount of movement he had been forced to do, but thus far he hadn't used any of his techniques.. the man he faced now didn't seem to have a limit to his stamina, though, so he was beginning to question his strategy of trying to tire his opponent out. From here, he could see his opponent hadn't even broke a sweat. "Tch.."

Adrian Darren Farenheights stood outside the run down temple he now called home. It was small, but afforded him the things he needed for his life. He wore a black yakuta, red sash tied around his waist. The Devil's Teardrop was set at his hip, wooden boken beside the black metal weapon bastard sword. Over the top half of his face was a white skull mask, red lines painted on it. Coming from the forehead of the mask were a pair of horns. The porcelain mask was commonly associated with the king of Jigoku, Fu Leng, and the adopted identity of the mysterious swordsman.

Moving from the temple the masked man moved toward a small forge in the back, where he would wait for his master to arrive. Should the demon arrive soon enough he'd know enough about being a spirit blacksmith. And when he was ready he'd be more than capable of creating Goranova's counter part. The Sword of Darkness. But it would take time before that would happen. His eyes narrowed as he looked around. Something felt off, though that wasn't much different than any other day. Demons were usually arriving to challenge the swordsman, or to taunt him. But he could handle himself in most situations, since they weren't smart enough to come in massive numbers. And he had a few spiritual spells to draw upon as well.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked, looking around. "I gotta learn not to talk to myself out here."

The oni growled lightly, drawing his arm back. "Infernal flames, gather and mold!" Shou shouted outwards, a red orb appearing within his grasp, flaring outwards into a fully conjured fyreball. He then thrusted it forward and sent the magic rushing towards the other. The opposing demon simply laughed and the crimson eyes of Shou's widened at the oncoming attack.The blast of flames struck him head on, knocking him from the platform of fire that he had created and sent him spinning through the air, overwhelmed by the force of the attack. Before he could have known it, his side clipped the very top of a building that he hadn't been aware of before, forcing himself to come to a stop as a disc of fire erupted to catch him from proceeding through the air any further. Shou noted the piece of the building that had been chipped off, a good sized chunk falling and crashing into the ground, then glanced around rather quickly, never having dwelled to these parts of the forest before to see that there had actually been a temple here. "Tch.. humans?" The idea alarmed him as humans were never ones to be fond of the presence of demons. They were questions for later, though, as he still had the fight to attend to, running from the area and trekking across the sky towards the demon once more, despite the pain of his body from the flames.

He turned, spotting the demon as it came out of the sky, knocking part of his roof off. He moved to slap his forehead, but stopped when he jabbed his hand on the horns of his mask. His eyes narrowed as he followed taking only the time to grab Goranova from inside the temple door. He carried the crystal blade with him. He gripped the ivory hilt tight as he moved, as quickly as he could.

"Dammit... What the hell is going on out here today!? Aguaiem maha maveil!" he chanted, calling forth the seven star shield of Senbunhoshi using the language of spirits. "I really hate this shield sometimes..."

Shou charged back to the spot as swiftly as he could but the other demon was no longer in the spot he had remembered. Cursing briefly, he looked around. Could it have been he was off the hook once more? That specific demon had a tendancy to appear and disappear whenever it pleased, always there to dwarf his abilities in the fire magic. Just another reminder of who was stronger then? "Damn.." Shou supposed he should be thankful, though he was rather exhausted of all the movement he had been forced to during the fight. Looking over the damage, he had to be a little surprised at how many trees had been burnt away and the newly formed clearings of the forest.They weren't enough to distract him of his new discovery, turning away from the once was battle scene and to the temple that he had encountered. While it may have inhabitated humans, and though it might have been dangerous, Shou felt compelled to learn more about it. Dropping from the platform of fire, he landed against the soft blades of grass and back into the mass of trees, deciding to proceed the rest of the way on foot.

Clad in black, the swordsman came to a stop, his eyes narrowing as he glanced the other male over. In the swordsman's left hand was a white wooden katana, and in his left hand was the sword of light. The swordsman didn't look like anything special but then again there weren't many humans in the western woods. He frowned, his eyes narrowing behind the porcelain mask as he stood there. Both swords were lowered, the tips pointing to the ground at his sides. He breathed slowly, as he stood there. He had no idea if this person were friend or foe, and he wasn't taking chances. Especially with the magnitude of destruction that was in this being's wake.

Adrian may have been armed with weak appearing weapons, but against the Oni of the Deep they were the ultimate weapons. Goranova the ever blessed blade, and the seireikendou the wooden blade that burned demons on contact. At his beck and call was the Devil's Teardrop the Kami poisoning blade. He was a true hunter of spirits, and any he called his enemies were usually less powerful against him.

Seeing a human wasn't the most surprising thing, since the temple was an obvious indication that there was at least a physical being out here that would have been neccessary to construct such a thing. Looking to the weapons in the man's hands, though, he could see that he was a fighter.. and to be located this far in the Deep, he had to have been skilled to have survived this long.However, the very fact that the man was human was reason enough for Shou not to strike out. After all, he only sought to fight and kill oni, demons that were hell-bent on raising destruction and chaos, hogging such things to themselves that he could have been indulging in. Of course, he wouldn't give any sort of impression to the human.. after all, they may have been of the mortal realm, some possessed a good deal of power."Boruha Takashou." The oni answered, his steps having come to a halt some ways from the man. The crimson eyes left the human and towards the temple. "I'm guessing you're the one who lives here?"

"That's right. I'm living here until whoever owns this run down temple comes back, or until the spirits of this land take it from me." he said, standing there. "Did you do all that damage yourself or did you have help here?"

Relaxing a bit he slid the wooden sword into the deep red sash tied around his waist. An empty scabbard sat beside it, and with a twirl of the crystal bastard sword he slid it into place, locking it into the sheath. He visibly relaxed. Though anyone that knew of 'Fu Leng' knew he could summong the spiritual arts to his side, something unusual among oni. But aside from that he could manifest a sword whenever he wished, so they were many demons in the woods warry around the swordsman even when he was unarmed. But Goranova had placed him above them simply because no matter how powerful a demon was it cut through them as if they were common humans.

"..I was about to go get something to eat. Are you hungry?" he asked, thinking that he ought to be polite.

"Damage?" Shou had started to question, before recalling that he had collided into the building. It was a reminder of the bruise that was on his side from the contact, glancing up to where the missing chunk of the temple was now. "Ah.. sorry about that. I never knew there was a building out here this deep into the forest. Besides, not totally my fault." The oni replied, still a little on guard from the fire demon that he had just been engaging in a fight with. It was a good sign to see this human put away his weapons, though, that was one less fight he'd have to concern himself with.An eyebrow rose at the question. The man was inviting him to eat with him? It was a polite gesture, but he was still a stranger.. besides, spirits hardly needed the same nourishments a human did. "Actually, I'm fine.. although, curious. Whats the purpose of this temple being out here?"

"Beats me. Found reference to this location and came out here. This is the only place in the woods where there are ash, oak, birch, and yew trees gathered together. I'll have to wait for spring to see what happens..." he said, moving toward the temple once more. "If you're not hungry that's fine, but I'm going to get something to eat. If you change your mind you're welcome to join me."

He walked back to the temple, sliding the mask from his face when he entered the run down building. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his eyebrows furrowing as he glanced toward the oni, to see if he was coming or not.

It wouldn't have been the promise of food that had lured him, but the fact that this building was standing tall and proud here in such a harsh environment with spirits and demons lurking around everywhere. Not only that, but the blades that this one possessed.. having been a swordsman in his previous life, it interested him to see another since it had seemed mechanical weapons had overrun the market and the press of a trigger outclassed the skill required to wield a blade.Shou would follow the man, nodding his way as Adrian had turned to look back and see him. He figured he would voice his curiousities once they had come to a halt.

Slipping the weapons from his sash the swordsman sat on the porch of the temple, frowning as he pulled a cigarette case and lighter from his robes. Taking one out he flicked at the lighter a few times, frowning when it didn't come up. Shaking the lighter lightly he frowned. Closing the lid on it he patted the top of it against his knuckles before he flicked it open once more. Still it refused to light. Sighing he set it down and took a cigarillo from the case, slipping the filtered end between his lips. He sighed, laying back, his arms locking behind his head as he lay there.

"Fucking lighter. Needs fuel... I hate going into that damned city." he muttered, the cigarillo not falling from his lips. "I'd offer you one but I don't have a light. Though I suppose you could chew on it just for the flavoring. They're dipped in Cognac."

Having followed the man to the porch of the temple, the oni's eyebrows lifted lightly at the sight of the blunt that the man had retrieved from his case. Himself, he was used to the things being rolled with marijuana within their contents, though he couldn't have expected everyone to carry such things on him. Tobacco would have worked nicely either way, since rillos were flavored smokes anyways. "Heh.. you're actually in good company. I happen to be a human lighter." Shou would come to say, raising his arm and hand out in front of him as a flame flickered into being just above his palm. With a grin on his face, he replied, "I'd be happy to have one." Especially if this human took the time to dip his cigarillos.

Taking another from the case he handed it to the oni before leaning in to light his own smoke. He took a long drag on it, working the smoke into his lungs, his eyes closing as he smiled lightly. Exhaling he blew the breath out in a long line. He sighed as he sat there, amazed that he was already on good terms with this person. It was strange, Adrian hadn't made a friend this fast since Satsu. Then again he hadn't seen the flame master since he'd faked his death.

"Heh. You remind me of my buddy Satsu. He could do that too. Too bad I don't think he was as skilled as you. So Takashou, what are you doing so far out here?" the swordsman asked his brow furrowing.

"Satsu, huh?" For a moment, Shou might have thought it held relation to the demon he just battled. Hearing that the man hadn't been all too skilled in the art though, that couldn't have been the case.. the demon he fought excelled in the fire arts, even over him. Shrugging, Shou simply replied, "It's my element.. I grow stronger with it everyday." The oni replied with a grin, bringing the rillo to his lips. The end of it cherried up without any flame being held against it, a little trick of conjuring a mini-fireball to get the thing started. Inhaling the smoke, he was unused to smoking tobacco, though the taste of the flavored wrap was enough to please him. Breathing in the smoke, he probably would have coughed if he hadn't been the spirit of fire, though he surely felt the difference between this and the joints of marijuana that he often carried upon him.Exhaling his own cloud of smoke, Shou's crimson orbs returned to the human in front of him and answered his question, "I come out into the forest to train every so often.. sharpen my skills, of what I got. Hmm.. what does one do living out here, anyways?" He figured the man must have been a monk of some sorts. And therefore strong. Shou's grin only returned at the concept of a fight with a strong human.

At that the swordsman sat up, taking a drag on the smoke between his lips. He looked to be thinking for a moment, as he sat there, holding his breath. Exhaling he blew the smoke from his lungs before he began laughing. He ran a hand through his hair lightly as he sat there, not able to believe that this demon wasn't around often.

"What do I do out here? I'm training to be a spirit blacksmith. But when I'm not doing that I'm fighting to keep myself alive. There's not much to do, you just have to make yourself keep busy." he said, sitting there. "Out here the strong survive. The weak follow them or are destroyed. But don't get me wrong, I'm not bitching about it. I actually enjoy it. I have big plans, and to carry them out I have to be very strong. Geez, you really ARE like Satsu. Duck."

A spear flew past the swordsman, who didn't even blink, the bushes rustling as the hidden assassin fled. His eyes narrowed as he finished the smoke before he stood.

A spirit blacksmith? Shou wasn't aware of the term, though the concept seemed probable enough, even appealing to the oni's interests. "So you're strong?" Shou questioned, seeming to get right to the point. The man suddenly called out to him to duck though he probably wouldn't have managed the reaction in time as the spear flew by the two of them suddenly, missing whatever mark the thrower had been aiming for. Shou threw a glance over his shoulder. "What..? Running away without bothering to play a little?" The oni growled lightly, his hands clenching at the fist, though the smirk on his face seemed to rebuke any ideas that might have led one to believe he was angry. "Will you be wanting in on this hunt? I'm not planning on leaving this prey untracked.."

"Nah, let the small fry go. They aren't very good for hunting. I'll take you hunting ogres later, man. Now THAT is fun." he said, shrugging as he stretched. "But if you want to go after him, you can. Though you're right this does require immediate action. If you want to give them a chance wait until nightfall. Otherwise I'll bring Goranova."

He didn't indicate the sword of light in any way, though he did move to slip it into his sash. Sliding the mask from earlier back into place he looked around, his eyes narrowing as he looked around. Something was off, but the masked male had no idea what it was. Shrugging it off as him being paranoid the swordsman drew the Devil's Teardrop before moving to stand a few feet away from the rickety old temple.

The human offputted the oni's desires of the hunt when he used the term 'small fry'. Shou wasn't interested in fighting a weakling.. and if one had missed the opportunity of a surprise attack as simply as that, it only seemed to strengthen the man's claim. "Ogres, huh? Heh, I've had a little run-in with them before. That does sound fun." Shou stated, his fists relaxing, supposing a hunt was good as any giving the prey as much time as they needed to try and escape. The oni noted the mask that the man placed over his face, watching as he paced and drawing his blade. Shou rose a brow. "Are you expecting something more?"

"No. If I don't draw my sword we can't spar. You wanted to test my strength, right? Every demon here does. But we'll just have to see how far along you've come in your own training to see how far I have to push myself." the swordsman said, grinning. "I think we'll start off with just a little bit of fun. Aguaiem maha maveil."

The last of it was chanted at the top of his lungs, the swordsman invoking the spiritual arts seven star shield. Senbunhoshi. He wasn't going to take chances, since he had no idea what level of power this demon had achieved. But then again if he were strong then he might be useful. And even if he wasn't, by fighting him, Adrian would have a decent idea of the demon's unlockable potential. If he had plenty then the swordsman would take every chance to unlock his potential.

"Heheh." The demon briefly chuckled, "This world doesn't have enough guys like you, I gotta say." Shou replied to the challenge by taking a step back when the man had finished the chant in that unknown language. A shield seemed to conjure before the other and Shou wondered just how durable such a thing was. Its presence seemed to shine and glow with a radiance that Shou envied, recognizing it as a spiritual arts technique. It was a pity that the darkness within him would never allow him to achieve such a thing as it would have been a powerful tool against other oni. His flames would do, though, never one to put down his own abilities. Shou stepped back and off of the ground, a disc of flame erupting beneath his feet, repeating the process with his other foot and he seemed to back away from the human as if ascending a set of stairs backwards. "Infernal flames, gather.." The oni reached outwards with his hand, his palm directed towards the human, a red orb manifesting just before it before suddenly flaring out and expanding in size. "And strike!" He shouted, the fyreball being let loose from his handling and towards the man.

Adrian's eyes narrowed as the fyreball formed. Rushing forward as quickly as he could, he drew his sword back. He grinned as the fyreball exploded against his shield, doing nothing to it. He kicked off the ground, dirt flying behind him as he brought his arm down, putting his weight into it. His free hand drew back, rather than drawing on that arm's additional strength. He knew perfectly well what he could do but there was no way this demon had even the slightest idea of what the black bladed bastard sword could do in the swordsman's hands.

Adrian was a master swordsman, a student of humans, spirits, and demons. He knew how to fight with a sword better than any other person he'd encounted. But he had no idea, or any way of telling what other abilities this fire demon had. If he could summon weapons like Adrian could it would be a much harder fight.

"You'll have to try a lot harder than that to get through my shield!" the swordsman shouted.(174/1,796)

A very small mouse crashed through the underbrush, her wings boosting her along as she tried very hard not to look back. Some time ago in her travels she'd accidentally wandered out of the crowded, stinking city and promptly found the woods. She thought it'd be a good place to stay until she noticed that almost all of the fauna were spirits, and malevolent ones at that. Mice were the chicken nuggets of the animal kingdom after all, and after this revelation she had gotten hopelessly lost.Looking over her shoulder, she beheld the abomination that was chasing her: a large creature perhaps the size of a calf and in appearance not unlike a great horned owl crossed with a hissing lynx.There seemed to be no apparent escape until she broke into a clearing. Not recalling who the familiar one was, only recognizing his red hair and thinking that he might offer some safety from the creature, she jumped once, a burst of light giving her a chance to jump once more as she attempted to land on the back of his pants. If she was successful, she'd scramble up under his shirt to hide from the horrible monster chasing her.

That shield possessed a good deal of guard, it seemed. As the human rushed forward, the oni could tell that he was a lot faster than most of those within the mortal realm, but his initial backward steps gave him enough distance to be able to see an attack coming. All ready aerial and atop his platform of flame, when Adrian leapt off the ground and neared his position, the fire beneath his feet suddenly shifted to the side and the oni's body turned as well, slipping away from the spot where the sword came down upon. After removing himself from that spot, his crimson orbs noted a mouse suddenly attaching itself to Adrian's pants and scrambling up the man's shirt. He blinked, recognizing that spirit, yet that moment of hesitation costed him the opening the human had left himself with. "Tch." Shou leapt off the fire he currently stood upon, gaining more altitude in the air to land atop a newly formed one higher up coming to be level with the treetops that spanned out a little farther away. His eyes looked down towards the human, curious to see if that spirit had been the same that he had encountered previously.

"Ah what the hell?!" the swordsman exclaimed, the rat disappearing into his Yakuta. "Ah. Ahhaha.. Fuck! That tickles! Stop it!"

He wiggled around, his hand releasing the Devil's Teardrop as he worked at the black robes he wore. He removed the portion covering his upper body, before he frowned while looking around in his clothing, trying to figure out what the hell it was that was causing it. His eyes narrowed as he stood there, before he grabbed at the rat in his clothing.

"What the hell? Since when are there rats like this out here?" he wondered out loud.

The griffin yokai couldn't hope to fight off a human and another oni, and thus seemed reluctant to step into the clearing after such a small amount of food......but the mouse seemed cordial enough. Some blue scarves and protective bandages wrapped around her body, especially her feet, since they needed protection from the harshness of the ground. On her neck hung a rosary with a seashell in the middle. Her eyes shone completely golden, not black or pink like a normal creature's of her class. "The blessings of Bleaus on you, sir," she started, her voice soft and amiable. "I apologize for jumping and hiding in your clothes, but it was a life or death matter. Do you forgive me?"

Shou would have recognized the spirit as soon as his eyes laid upon the seashell that she hung around her neck. Crossing his arms over his chest, he snickered while looking down towards the two. "That'd be Atilla, the rat kami." The oni commented, though he too figured it odd that she would have been out here in the forests, even for being the spirit that she was. The yokai that dwelled within the trees were mostly onikonjou, "Tredding into pretty dangerous grounds, I'd say." Shou stated and simply shrugged, "Kill it if you feel that neccessary."

Adrian frowned at the rat before he walked over to the temple porch, putting the rat kami down on the porch he ignored the plea for forgiveness. Sliding the mask from his face he ran a hand through his hair before he sat down. He had an idea of the demon's skills. And there was no telling just how good the fire spirit could become. Smirking softly he stood there, his back to the rat. He wiped the light sheen of sweat from his brow before putting the mask back into place.

"That's enough for now Shou-san. You've got a lot of potential. Later I'll show you how to hunt down ogres." he said, grinning behind the mask. "You're welcome here whenever you're out in the woods."

Finding herself on the ground, the little rodent blinked. How rude of this human to just go ignoring her... not that it bothered her horribly. She had intruded, after all.Sitting down on her haunches, she scratched behind her head with one foot, resenting being referred to as an "it". Licking down her back, she gathered her thoughts and spoke. "Dangerous? I suppose it is dangerous here, but how exactly do I find my way out? I came here quite by accident."

A brow rose as the human called an end to the fight. How much had he figured from that little bit? He'd thrown a fyreball, managed a single dodge, and had flown to safety into the sky when the opportunity allowed it. Uncrossing his arms and letting them hang to his side, Shou gave a shrug, "If you say so. And orgres, eh?" That returned the smirk on his face before he dropped from the sky, the platform of flame disappearing under his feet. Coming to land back down onto the ground, the oni nodded towards the human, appreciating the welcome. At least he wouldn't have to worry about this one attacking him just because of his being a demon.The oni ignored the rat for the most part, not interested in paying it much aid, figuring Adrian might have the decency to give it directions.

"The city is off to the east. Kami aren't really smiled upon in this forest. The Oni here will probably try to eat you. You can stay here tonight, but after that you wont be welcome here. I don't allow Kami within my home. So try to stay out of sight." he suggested. "Shou you have the makings of a great fighter. If you have stronger spells you should use them first. Rely on your weakest assets as something you call upon in the weakest moments of battle."

Shrugging he smirked. He drove the tip of the Devil's Teardrop into the ground before he sat down, his back still to the rat kami. His eyes closed as he folded his arms over his chest. His breathing was slow and steady as he sat there, waiting patiently.

The little good spirit sat down in complete confusion that overrode the offense she felt at the complete lack of politeness or even acknowledgment from the two. She certainly recognized the other by his smell and tone of voice. The other was a human, and they generally at least tried to be polite.Nonetheless, she figured the human's advice to be good. She would stay here, and hopefully that thing would be gone in the morning that chased her there. A rustling in the bushes announced the creature's giving up sourly.Yet, the Word dictated that she must repay wickedness with kindness, and she planned to follow that scripture to the letter. Surely some reason lay behind their sour moods, she thought, moving next to the weary man and drawing a small piece of sourdough bread from her bag to nibble. "I apologize for my intrusion," she said quietly, before blessing her meal and taking a quick nip.

Shou snickered at the compliment received and merely shrugged at the man's word of advice. "I don't wanna go and kill someone before I get the fun to fight them." He replied, stepping forward towards the two of them. "Hey, Atilla." The oni addressed the woman kami who was currently having something of a meal, before having a seat as well, figuring to rest a brief moment. Between the fight he held earlier with another demon and the little amount of energy he had expended against the human's shield, the oni had used more stamina than he would have cared to admit. Training his endurance would have been a priority in days to come, noting this exhaustion of using fire.

"It's no intrusion, Kami. Forgive me if I'm crass, but it has been a long time since I've had guests. And none of them have been your kind. I suppose I've lived in these woods too long. I'm losing my manners. If you're thirsty there is water, and I believe I have some deer meat left." he said, sitting there, his back still to the kami.

Drawing the Sword of light, the swordsman stood. He walked in a circle, the crystal blade of the sword of light digging into the ground as he moved. As he went he began chanting, his eyes narrowing as he went.

"Hear me oh spirits and come to me now, bend to my call and stand to my vow. I command you oh spirits, do as I say. I command you oh spirits, let none touch but those master bade." he chanted.

Wiping the blade off he stood back. The circle was a full foot away from the edge of the Devil's Teardrop. The bastard sword was surrounded, though there was no special magic. Then again nobody would know that unless they had the ability to sense magic itself. Sheathing Goranova at his hip he grinned at Shou.

"What would you be willing to bet that I can take that blade from ten paces, faster than you could within arm's reach?" he asked.

The kamikonjou bowed politely to the human, not eating or drinking yet. She wanted to answer the address of the onikonjou. "Have you been in good health, Demon?" she inquired politely, as though that were the other's name. There was a hint of longing in her voice.*

Demon? He kind of missed 'Takashou-sama', when she said it like that. "I've been in great health." The oni replied, though his eyes remained forward as the human had casted some sort of spell with that chant. More of those spiritual arts, it seemed. With the challenge issued, his gaze went to the sword instead and he rose a brow. "Eh.. the way you say it, that doesn't sound like a safe bet at all. What's got you so confident?" Shou decided to ask instead, since he probably would have only been made a fool if he reached out for the thing to suddenly have that human upon him and snatching it away.

He held up a finger, signaling Shou to wait a moment. He turned and walked a good twenty paces away, standing there as he held his left hand out at his side. His right hand then motioned for Shou to take the blade as he stood there, his eyes narrowing.

"I just want to see if you can keep up with my speed, Shou." he said, smirking. "IF you can take the Devil's Teardrop from the circle of protection that I've put down I'll GIVE you the sword at my hip. All yours, no questions asked. But if you can't take it, before I get it in hand, then you don't get anything." he said.

True there was a trick behind it but he was already working on his own speed techniques. If he could become fast enough t outrun most demons then he could out fight them on top of it. If he could do that then the Goddess would have to recognize him as her guardian. This would be the first test. But then again he had no intention to move even a fraction of an inch. The instant Shou began to move toward the Devil's Teardrop the swordsman would will it to himself with nothing more than a swirl of black mist.

"But don't think I'll make it easy on you." he said, grinning darkly as he stood there, watching the fire demon. "Or would you rather just give up now and admit you can't do it?"

It seemed a challenge had been issued. The kami sat, her head tilted to the side as she listened to the gauntlet being thrown. Takashou didn't seem himself, she thought idly, watching him carefully. He must've been fighting pretty hard. Clasping her small paws together, she began to speak in her Latin once more. "Qui autem sperant in Domino mutabunt fortitudinem adsument pinnas sicut aquilae current et non laborabunt ambulabunt et non deficient.*" This was her first time using the chant on the mortal plane, but one she hoped would work. (Cast Refresh on Shou [Novice])

*But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

The oni felt a refreshment in his energies, blinking before glancing over towards Atilla. "Hey.. thanks." The oni replied, smirking as his confidence suddenly returned in full force, looking back to Adrian. "You sure you wanna make a wager like that with a demon?" He snickered, leaning forward in his seated position by the temple. "All right. That don't sound too bad a deal at all to me." Shou looked to the sword that had been stabbed into the ground not two paces away in front of him. Adrian, on the other hand, was something of a distance away. Seemed like a simple enough win. "On your go?"

"How about on the Kami's go?" he asked, waiting as he stood there, wanting it to at least seem fair.

No matter who's go it was on, the instant he heard it the Devil's Teardrop would be in his hand with nothing more than a thought. The demon wasn't stupid and Adrian suspected that Shou actually thought Adrian would be giving him a fair chance. But he wouldn't. Adrian wouldn't let the Sword of Light go, not ever again. He was the only one that could control both swords. He was the only one, in his mind, that could use Goranova's full strength. Such was the nature of the swordsman.

No longer was he the fair, balanced student. He had let go of that life, and in it's place had been born a life of the real world. Of the harsh realities of the demon infested Western Woods. In Adrian's mind the person he was had even died. He had faked his death, and in that moment he had let himself die. And Ashram had been brought to life in his place. But after the loss of faith he had given into the will of Jigoku, and had gone from Ashram to Fu Leng. But here, it felt like he was back home in the city with his friends. It was unnerving, but he was more comfortable around demons than humans these days.

"Then again, nah." he said, shrugging as he willed the weapon into his hand.

With a swirl of black mist the weapon vanished from within the circle, appearing in Adrian's extended left hand. The swordsman smirked as he moved back toward them, his eyes on Shou.

"I don't know what you were planning but I'm willing to bet you had an idea I'd do that." he said.

The mouse seemed confused by the human's statement. "Excuse me?" she asked quietly, her whiskers twitching as she seemed unable to discern what was expected of her.Nonetheless, the offer to fight was withdrawn, and she decided she might try a bit of that water and only the smallest bit of the meat. She would consume the flesh of animals if need be, but it wasn't something she was partial to doing.Clasping her paws in front of her, as though in a prayer, a small, yellow light that started between her hands and her chest gradually covered her entire body. Soon her fur was iridescent and her body was growing, the body hair morphing into clothes and the form of a rat morphing into the form of a gentle woman in priestly purple garments, her hood trimmed in white fur and her blond hair framing her face.

*

Last edited by LittleMariko on Fri Oct 02, 2009 11:46 pm; edited 1 time in total

-"Ah.." Shou leant back once more to a more relaxed seated position, chuckling lightly. "That's neat. Too bad, though, that sword looks nice." The oni hadn't allowed his hopes to rise too much in obtaining it, figuring there might have been a trick he would have been unable to defeat. Glancing towards the rat kami, he noticed her changing into a human form. "There's a girl I've missed." Shou replied, the smirk ceasing to fade as he scooted closer towards her. Though his departures from the woman had always left something of a sour mood, he always seemed happy to see her, his attempted rape of the woman apparently a faraway thing of the past. "Thanks again for that help. Didn't know you could do stuff like that too."

"Interesting. She can becme human. Good to know." he said, standing there. "If you're hungry, Shou, there is plenty of food. It's not like I can't get more."

His eyes narrowed as he stood there, watching the kami, before he looked to the sky. Falling on his back he lay there, staring up at the sky above. Life always seemed so much simpler. The stars, the sun, the moon. The world felt so large staring at the sky, but down here it limited your vision. It narrowed it, or focused it. And Adrian's goal was clear. His path unhindered. He only had to make a few more sacrefices to do it all.

A devil approached. The kami looked at the other and braced herself as a deer braces before an oncoming pair of headlights. Upon finding his voice was friendly, however, she relaxed, but not very much. She should be vigilant, thus his wiles overtake her once more. His smirk, his eyes, everything about him was just so appealing, it was unfortunate she didn't get to see him fight that much... to see that wildfire raging about. His hair had this pleasant way of bouncing about when he jumped too...Shaking her head, she rapidly dismissed those thoughts. "I can do a lot of things..." she spoke absently, almost blurting it out in her gentle way. Blushing, she realized she spoke without thinking and covered her mouth with one curled hand. "...Takashou-sama..."

"Is that right?" Shou asked, his grin implying other things but he simply shook his head a moment later at the concept. He'd tried his luck with the kami before and that hadn't gone anywhere, especially since he wasn't the type to try and attempt to take something slow. There wasn't any getting into this one's pants, her religious beliefs and devotion to Bleaus a barrier he wasn't able to penetrate. "How I'd like to penetrate.." The oni mumbled lightly to himself, before addressing Adrian. "That's nice to know. I'm not real hungry, though. Maybe I'll drop by sometime to take that offer up, though." Standing up to his feet, he figured since the fight was over and done with that his business here had come to a close too. After all, his mood was for something a little more chaotic than this sit down and talk. "Gonna head out into the forest. There's gotta be something fun to fight around here, yeah?"

"Yeah, Shou. There are plenty of things out there for fun. Ogres, and other such demons. Just be careful. They're pretty strong and don't go down easy." he said, laying there as he stared up at the sky.

He wasn't all that happy about his new friend leaving so quickly but if that was his choice Adrian wouldn't stop him. He had to let go of a lot to bring peace to the world. And, so long as he kept control, he had a long way to go to bring humanity to that point of power. Until then he had to work to insure they united against him.

"Shou.. Before you go let me ask you.. Do you see any redeeming qualities in Humanity? Or are they too far gone to save?" he asked.

The woman looked towards the ground, picking up the mumbled penetration comment. Before she could look up and ask if she'd heard correctly, the other friend said something that seemed... completely inane. "Hito-sama, aren't you human?"In her view, it seemed as though humans should believe in the inner light of humans, however this one may have given himself over to darkness and thus his question. Not waiting for Shou to answer, she replied, "Everyone's done some bad, but all humans can come to repentance and light, including yourself, Sir."

He was interested in what had spurred the question, but he was all ready well on his way, not looking to get too deep before he took off. The oni paused for the moment, allowing Atilla her comment before he snickered, "Tell you what.. you're gonna need a lot more of those if humans can back up from the pit of sins they've dove themselves into." Shou stated, indicating towards the rat, the devote preacher of Bleaus. She was only one against many though. "There's always some hope, though." He said then, sounding very unlike himself. Perhaps he'd seen the kami on too many occassions and it had started to delude his sense of chaos. "But at the rate they're going.. they're fucked, frankly." Again he snickered, before beginning to walk forward. Slipping one hand in his pocket, the other giving a stiff wave in the air, he gave his farewells while walking back into the mass of trees. From there he'd take to the air.

"Kami, I will pretend you didn't say what you just did. There is no light left inside of me. None at all. What you see before you is the shell of a man. Killed when those he came to treat as family betrayed him. He was struck down and left for dead in these woods. And I am the spirit that stepped into that shell. And yet try as I might even I have a hard time believing that..." he said, turning to Atilla. "I don't hate humanity. But sometimes I wonder if they are truely worth saving... Kami, I will ask you to stay by my side as an advisor. I need someone that wont be afraid to tell me that I'm being stupid. But if you don't want to, tell me now."

Her gaze remained on the back of her retreating friend as he disappeared into the brush and woods. Blinking, she realized the man was divulging some important information to her and only half of her attention was on it. Turning to the man, she returned in around the part he began talking about being a spirit and shortly realized this man had a mental illness. A kami like herself who specialized in such magix could heal physical wounds with a mere wave of her hand, but mental illness, well, she'd need something much more powerful before she was ready to deal with that. Smiling and nodding, she observed him attempting to reach out and keep her there, another symptom of his disease perhaps. Knowing she wouldn't be able to predict what he would try, especially with Shou absent, she simply replied, "Hito-sama, I apologize, but without my friend present I will have to decline. It would be improper for a lone lady as myself to be residing with a man in his... house..." she said, looking at the broken down temple and eventually finding the most polite word for it.Then turning, she would look into the woods and take a deep gulp, deciding to follow her slightly more predictable friend into the Deep.